The Magi: Love in Action

Close out worship and transition into Devotional by lighting Advent Candles

During this advent season, we have talked about hope (in Jesus Christ), peace (of God) and joy (choosing the joy of the Lord rather than temporary happiness of this world).

This evening, I want to share some provoking thoughts I found and, as it has done for me, I hope it not only encourages some honest personal reflection, but also, maybe, just maybe, it will encourage us to have to the courage to make some changes in our life this Christmas season.

Let’s read this evening in Matthew 2:1-12:

Matthew 2:1–12 CSB

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born. 5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet: 6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: Because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” 7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.

It’s hard to say exactly who or what the magi were.

Some say they were astrologers and soothsayers—stargazers with one eye on the heavens and the other on the future.

Some say foreign rulers.

But one thing they were for certain: outsiders. They were Gentiles “from the east.” East of Jerusalem, they were from wherever the people of God weren’t.

Which leads us to question, why would they want to come worship the new king of Israel? Why were they watching the stars with such interest in the birth of a foreign king?

Maybe it’s because they were fortune tellers who were particularly invested in world-shaping events. Maybe they were dangerous foreigners from nations that were Israel’s historical enemies, who—like Herod—said they were coming to worship the child, but actually had something more violent in mind. Maybe God was just mysteriously and unconventionally drawing these peculiar pagan outsiders to Himself.

Whatever the case, we do know this: when the signs in the heavens finally brought them to him, what they felt at that moment was overwhelming joy. And whatever they had expected to find or to do, when they found him, they knew they had found something they’d been seeking—not just for the months they’d been traveling, but for their entire lives. All they could do was fall down, worship, and rejoice exceedingly with great joy.

Last week it was the shepherds. This week, the magi. God just can’t resist telling these unlikely people news that makes them leap for joy.

What link can we make between the tradition of the magi candle and the week of Advent devoted to love?

What do these enigmatic figures with their shadowy motives and strange gifts have to do with the love of God for us?

Is it not simply and profoundly this?: for God so loved the world.

It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

A people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light.

The Scripture testifies to it in a thousand ways, but let us say it this way: the steadfast love of God that endures forever is for the whole world. Not just the ones in our church buildings, but even for the ones from the east searching the stars for some sign of the One Out There—love that reaches out beyond borders, down below the ground, into the hearts of all people.

The ones from the east are:

The people we see on the street alone, cold, and hopeless. The people we run into who are just struggling to make ends meet. For those who are trying to find peace, love and acceptance from anything and anyone and still cannot find what they are looking for.

There are traditions that ascribe various meanings to the wise men and their gifts, but the one I like best says that what they offered him represented three distinct things.

The gold, a precious metal reserved for royalty, represented kingship.

The frankincense, used in various temple practices, represented priesthood.

And the myrrh, which played a part in Egyptian burial rituals, represented death.

If we interpret the gifts in this way, they capture three things about this child that are essential to who he is for us and the world.

1. As king (gold), Jesus enacts the wisdom and rule of God over creation for the sake of its own good and flourishing.

2. As a priest (frankincense), he mediates and embodies the love of God for the people, restoring them to a proper relationship without fear or shame.

3. And in his death (myrrh), he offers himself for the life of the world so that the death we both cause and are subject to might be thrown down from over us and cast out from within us.

And what do the magi and their gifts have to do, not just with the love of Christ for us, but with our love for Him?

I think we are supposed to become like the magi. We are not supposed to stop at simply acknowledging his kingship, priesthood, and death, but to go further and offer him our own kingship, priesthood, and death.

I can love him by giving my gold—being the royalty he’s made me to be, not the kind who lords authority over others for my own gain, but being like Jesus, who reflects the wisdom of God into creation for its own good and flourishing.

I can love him by giving my frankincense—being the priest He’s made me to be, not full of piety for the sake of my own righteousness, not widening the gap between others and God even as I think I narrow it for myself, but by being a priest who communicates and embodies the love of God to others, closing the distance between them and Him (bridging the gap!).

And I can love him by giving my myrrh—as Paul said, by becoming like Jesus in his death.

By, as Jesus said, picking up my cross and following him.

By becoming obedient for the sake of loving God, neighbor, foreigner, and enemy—obedient to love them whatever it may cost me, offering him even my own death when the time comes, just as he has already offered me his.

I wonder if it isn’t the only way I can truly love. I’d like to think they’re my gifts, but I wonder if the magi and I are really just giving back to God the gold, frankincense, and myrrh He’s already given us.

Things to think about this Advent season:

Are there any magi/outsiders making their way into your life? How do you think God is trying to communicate His love to them? How is He trying to use you to be a light in another person’s darkness?

Do you ever feel like you’ve searched for “he who has been born king of the Jews” and haven’t found him? Or that you found him in a surprising way? Or in a place you weren’t expecting to find him?

In the tradition of the magi, what does it mean to you to offer your gold, your frankincense, and your myrrh?

At end of devotional and BEFORE lights go out, have the bowls passed down each row. Explain politely: They only take a communion cup if they would like to participate (must be a part of the family of God but does not need to be a member of The Gap), same with a candle, if they want to participate, they take one. Each row has 5 of each in the bowl. Also, explain how to prepare communion cups so they can be easily accessed once candles are lit. (Opening the cups now)

After I have explained how to prepare communion cups, I light the first candle on each side of aisle and everyone lights them from there (Jordan will turn off lights)

Christmas story is read from your IPAD (LJ and Charity would like to do it, he will start I can finish)

Luke 2:1–20 CSB

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

After Christmas Story is read, Jordan comes up and does communion.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 CSB

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

After Communion, say a few words and then we will sing Christmas Carols.

1. Silent Night

2. Away in a Manger

3. O Come all Ye Faithful

Remind to throw communion trash in the trash and once candles are blown out, to please place them back in the bowls. There can be more than 5 just make sure all are in a bowl.

Online service only next week, Dec 29th.

PJ Closes.